Toy vehicle



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,453,046

J. 5. GABKE TOY VEHICLE I Filed June 21 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l 228 17g 29 Jae Apr. 24, 1923. v 1,453,046

J. s. GABKE TOY VEHI C LE Filed June 21. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 4 -6 4a 2a J I a 2 50 25 Apr. 24, 1923. 4 1,453,046

. J. S. -GABKE TOY VEHICLE \Filed June 21. 1921 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 MAM-a rd wuam Jul? 2% Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

meta starts JOHN S. GABKE, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

. 'roY VEHICLE.

Application filed J'une 21, 1921. Serial No. 479,185. 7

T aZZ whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, JOHN S. GABKE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Wilmington, in'the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented oer-3 tain new and useful Improvements in Toy Vehicles, of which the follo .ving is a speci fication.

One object of my invention is to provide a toy vehicle of novel construction which will afford amusement and healthful exerelse for children; said vehicle being so made that it can be easily and conveniently op-' erated.

Another object is to make my improved vehicle of a simple and durable construction which can be easily kept in proper running condition.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, itefernce being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top planiview of a vehicle made in accordance with my invention; the back portion of the seat being broken away,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of said vehicle,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of said vehicle,

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top.

plan View partly broken away,

Figure 6 is a'view of the same general character as shown in Figure 5 illustrating the parts having been moved into another position,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5,

Figures 8 and 9 are fragmentary side elevations showing certain .of the parts before and after having been adjusted to take up slack in the driving chain,

Figure 10 is an enlarged section taken on the line 10-1O of Figure 8,

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line 1111 of Figure 10,

Figure 12 is an enlarged section taken on the line 12-12 of Figure 2, and

Figure 13 is a section taken on the line 1313 of Figure 12.

Referring to the drawings, my improved vehicle includes a main frame 14 which is made of fiat strip metal bent within its length to form an elongated loop having side rails 15 and acurved closed forward end i 16. The free ends of the side rails 15 form the rear of the frame and are connected to= gether by a bolt 17 which passes througha tube 18; said tube having its opposite ends abutting the inner opposed surfaces ofthe side rails 15.

This main frame 'ad acent its rear has hanger bearings 19 which are made of strip I .m'aterlal having loops providing bearings for a rear axle 20. The free ends of the hanger bearings 19 are secured'to'the respective side rails 15 of the frame 14 as clearly shown in Figures 1, 12 and 13. A '7 depending looped frame 21, which is made of strip material, has its opposite ends secured to the siderails 15 of the main frame adjacent the end 16. The bottom of this frame 21 has a pivot bolt 22 extending therethrough and through an upwardly extending hood 23; said hood having its ends secured to the front axle 24. This bolt extends through the axle and also through an underhungframe 25; said frame consisting of a bent piece of strip metal which at its top is connected centrally to a transverse bar 26; this bar being secured to the opposed side rails 15 ofthemain frame. 1 A spacing pipe or tube 27 surrounds the bolt '22 as shown I in Figure 7 and said pipe abuts the' lower surface of'the axle 24 and the'upper surface of the forward end of the underhung frame 25.

Groundengaging wheels 28 are secured to the rear axle 20 and ground-engaging wheels 29 are freelyrotatable on the'front axle 24. A member 30 is securedon the top of the front axle 24 and hasits forward end .positioned withintheconfines of the hood 23; said bolt22 also passing through said member 30. This'member 30 has an arcuate portion 31; the inner edge thereof being provided with a row of gear teeth 32arranged concentric to the axis of thepivot bolt 22.

An auxiliary frame 33 includes a transverse plate portion 34 which extends be tween the side rails 15 of the main frame and has extensions 35 which are secured to the inner surfaces of said side rails. This plate portion 34 slants downwardly and forwardly and forms an angular or slanting support for a bracket 36; said bracket having end portions 37 and 38 bent at right angles to its slanting body portion 39. i

A slanting steering post 40 extends llt) through holes in the portions 87 and 38 of the bracket 36 and has a beveled gear 41 secured thereto which meshes with the teeth 82 of the member said beveled gear extending into the spac 42 within the confines of said member 80. A ring washer 43 surrounds the steering post and bears upon the upper surface of the portion 87 of the bracket 36 and I preferably insert removable pin 44 through the steering post above the ring washer 43 so as to prevent the steering post from moving downwardly. A steering wheel 45-is secured to the post 40 in front of a seat 46; said sea-t being secured on standards 47 which are attached to the main frame 14.

To hangers 48 are respectivelypivoted at 49 to the side rails 15 of the main frame 14. These hangers at their lower ends provide a bearing for a crank shaft 50; said crank shaft at its end portions outside of the hangers 48 having cranks 51 removably secured thereto; said cranks having pedals 52 thereon. The crank shaft 50 has a sprocket wheel 53 secured thereon between the hangers, over which passes an operating chain 54. This chain 54 operatively connects a sprocket wheel ,55 which is secured on the rear axle 20 between the hanger bearings 19. Each ofthe hangers 48 has a block 56 extending laterally therefrom; said block having a stem 57 which is pivotally secured within a hole 58 in the respective hanger 48. The respective blocks 56 have holes through which extends the screw threaded portions 59 of tension rods 60. These tension rods at their upper ends being pivotally secured tothe side rails 15 ofthe main frame 14 at 60 Nuts 61 are secured on the portions 59 f the'rod'60' and abut the opposite faces of the blocks.

It will be noted that the blocks 56 are positioned below the pivots 49 and in view of the construction above described it will be obvious that by backing off on one of the nuts anl turning the other nut further on to the rod, the hanger will be swung forwardly on its pivot 49 and when this adjustment is made on each side of the sprocket 53, the crank shaft 50 will be swung forwardly so as to take up any slack in the chain 54. Thus during use of the vehicle if the chain 54 becomes slack it is an easy matter to turn the nuts 61 and cause the hangers 48 to be swung on their pivots 49 so that the crank shaft 50 will be moved away from th rear axle 40 and the chain 54 can be made taut. I

Owing to the construction of the main frame and the mounting ofthe crank shaft, a child sitting on the seat 46 can readily reach the pedals and by an easy movement of the legs can readily propel the vehicle; the thrust imparted to the crank shaft being resisted by the tension rods 60. Furthermore by constructing the parts as above described they can be quickly and cheaply made and assembled.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A toyvehicle comprising a frame; an axle mounted on the frame; traction Wheels fixed to the axle; a sprocket fixed to the axle; hangers pivoted to the frame; a shaft bearing in the hangers; a sprocket fixed to the shaft between the hangers; a chain con necting the sprockets; blocks pivoted on the hangers; tension rods pivoted on the frame and adjustably connected to the blocks, and means for holding the hangers in an-adjusted position against swinging movement in either direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the PIQSGHCQ of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN s. GABKE.

lVitnesses CHAS, E. Poms, ELIZABETH GARBE. 

